168
FUTURE OF A.B. DEGREE.
How the New Degrees are Gaining
Ground On It.
[From Report of President Eliot of Harvard.]
One of the most interesting questions
concerning the tendencies of organized
American education is the question re-
lating to the future of the A.B. degree.
Fifty years ago the American colleges
and universities had no other prelimi-
nary or fundamental degree. They now
confer, not only the degree of Bachelor
of Arts, but contemporaneous degrees
in considerable variety, bearing such
titles as Bachelor of Letters, Bachelor
of Science, and Bachelor of Philosophy,
and various degree in engineering.
These new degrees commonly repre-
sent a larger attainment in science and
mathematics than the degree of Bache-
lor of Arts, and a smaller attainment in
languages, particularly in the dead lan-
guages; and, as a rule, the examina-
tions which admit to the courses which
conduct to these new degrees are of a
lower grade than the examinations
which admit to the course for the de-
gree of Bachelor of Arts.
On the other hand, in instances not
a few, the course of study which ends
in one of these new degrees is more
severe than the parallel course of study
which leads to the degree of Bachelor
of Arts. The use of the new degrees,
although practically unknown before
1848, has now become in all the .state
universities decidedly larger than the
use of the traditional degree of Bache-
lor of Arts; while in the older endowed
institutions, the new degrees are rapidly
gaining ground on the old degree. * *
Of the nine universities represented
in the table, three are state universi-
ties,—namely, Michigan, Wisconsin, and
California. Five are endowed univer-
sities over which the state has little
direct control,—namely, Yale, Pennsyl-
vania, Columbia, Princeton, and Brown;
and Cornell, the remaining university,
is an endowed institution which is
largely subsidized both by the state and
by the United States. In the most con-
servative institutions, the degree of
A.B. is losing ground in comparison
with the new degrees.
- IN DIFFERENT UNIVERSITIES.
Thus, in Yale University the number
of A.B.s conferred has not doubled in
fifteen. years, whereas the number of
Ph.B.s conferred has much more than
doubled. :
At Princeton University, the number
of students studying for the degree of
A.B. is half as large again as_it was
fifteen years ago; but the number of
students studying for the modern de-
grees is nearly four times as great as it
was fifteen years ago. ,
At Columbia University, the number
of students studying for the new degrees
has generally been greater than the
number of students studying for the old
degree; but the course for the A.B.
has apparently led students’ more
regularly to the degree than the courses
for the other degrees.
In order to understand the situation
in New England, it is necessary to take
account of the rise of the Massacnusetts
Institute of Technology, which confers
every year a large number of S.B. de-
grees. By adding together the candi-
dates for the S.B. degree of the Massa-
chusetts Institute of Technology and the
candidates for the S.B. in Harvard Uni-
versity, and comparing this total with
the number of candidates for the A.B.
at Harvard University one gets a clear
impression of the immense educational
change which has taken place in East-
ern Massachusetts since the Institute of
Technology was founded in 186s.
CAUSE OF THE CHANGE.
This invasion of the old. province of
the Bachelor of Arts degree is going
on in all the advanced institutions of
education at a rapid rate, and is doubt-
less based on changed ‘social and indus-
trial conditions which are quite beyond
the control of those institutions. It is .
therefore a pressing question how to se-
cure and defend a legitimate province
for the degree of Bachelor of Arts.
Thus far, Harvard has maintained the
relative numerical importance of this
traditional degree better than any other
Prt LL OMNES Ow Bee y
—______
American institution; and there can be
no doubt that it is the Elective System
in Harvard College which has secured
this result. It has long been the belief
of the President that to maintain the
Harvard degree of A.B. in full vigor,
it is desirable to broaden the range of
well-taught subjects which will admit to
Harvard College. :
The following table, covering nine
years, shews the different modes in
which young men accomplish, or nearly
accomplish, in three years the work re-
quired for the degree of Bachelor of
Arts:
lege work in three years, it must also |
be possible to do creditably in four |
years much more than the prescribed
amount of work. Accordingly it is
common among good students to do
mttch extra work during a residence of
four years. Thus, in the class of 1897
there were, among the 143 students
who received degrees with distinction,
106 who completed during their resi-
dence as undergraduates in Harvard
of courses exclusive of extra admission
subjects, and in the class of 1808 there
were 86 such students. * * * It might
be supposed that the men who attempt
1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898
Total number receiving A.B. ........ 282 283 203 332 348 364 306 383 302
1. Graduated in three years...... ie
Of these were credited at admis-
sion, 2 or more courses each..
Less than 2 courses each .......
2. Had leave of absence for Senior
Wéar... Po ee oe
Credited with 18.2 courses......
6é ce c¢
EFF i cocane Wad
eae Lee ae
i Tie, Tor. ee ee oe
. a 16.2 ae eeeeee#
Of these were credited at admis-
sion, 2 or more courses each..
Less than 2 courses each
3. Registered as Seniors, but cred-
| ited with 16 courses or more..
Credited with 18.2 courses......
as Beni bs 7 Ce mee a
as Se ie "Se Bos os ss
SC OF gee ope
‘Ge Re ALE
Of these were credited at admis-
sion, 2 or more courses each..
Less than 2. courses each.2....0;.
Number credited in three years with
TOOT OFC COUTEES 55k. cee
Of these with 18 or more courses....
a4: 18 AD. Oise 17 316 4 ey
A8 Ge
Seas Gp dk o. 3a ee
2 ey ots Id ee 280. 445 et
te ae OG VB wh Becta 86
bo yee 8 eR ae
Rid sit. eae ee
Pings: BaO 5 Dole
2 Zo See Ly a
5 ee ec
I Sse © ow 6
9 13 30 24 48 49 55 58 54
Poon ar. Ge 10 oO eee ae
Ge eed Oe ee one
ST eh eT es FO Fe
Re a Aree BAe a eG
Bae 36 BY ee BA eee AG
96 II2 102
28 37 45
2555 55 487 SS
2 RE 36 36
These three-year men are divided in
the table into three groups: the first
group containing those who actually
graduated in three years; the second,
those who obtained leave of absence for
the Senior year on the ground that they
had either completed, or nearly com-
pleted, the work for the A.B.; the third,
those who registered as Seniors to
spend a fourth year in the College, al-
though they were already credited with
sixteen courses or more, out of the
eighteen courses required for gradua-
tion. The table shows the precise num-
ber of courses with which each member
of each group was credited, and also
how many of these course-credits had
been obtained at the admission examina-
tion. The last two lines in the table
- show that the number of persons who
complete the work for the degree in
three years is distinctly increasing,—in-.
deed, that it has doubled within six
years; and also that the number of per-
sons who come within two courses or
less of completing the work for the de-
gree of A.B. is increasing.
SOME EXPLANATIONS.
To anyone éxamining these figures
for the first time, the query will nat-
urally occur,—why is the third ‘group in
this table the largest? Why should men
who have completed, or very nearly
completed, the whole of the work for
the A.B. register again as Seniors?
For this course of action there are
three intelligible motives:
First, a youmg man desires not to
graduate a year in advance of most of
the friends and contemporaries with
whom he entered College.
Secondly, a student who needs aid
may reasonably suppose that he has a
better chance of a scholarship or other
money aid, if he registers as a Senior,
than he would have if he registered in
the Graduate School. Thirdly, a young
man who thus registers as a Senior—
having nearly finished his work for the
A.B.—may take courses acceptable for
the A.M., and on completing these satis-
factorily during his Senior year may
receive, first his A.B. four years from
the time he entered College, and then—
without further residence—his A.M. five
years from the time he entered College.
This fifth year he may spend in a pro-
fessional school, or in business, or in
foreign travel or study. © One indis-
putable inference is to be drawn from
this table,—namely, that from a third
to two-fifths of each College class have
no need of more than three years to
complete the eighteen courses required —
for the degree.
Since it is possible to accomplish
creditably the regular four years’ Col-
much extra work do all their work, or
much of it, badly; but such is by no
means the case. It appears from tables
«x * * that the men in the elass of
1897, and the class of 1808, who did
most extra work during their residence
as undergraduates, did all their work in
an admirable manner. ‘These facts are
corroborated when the statistics of the
extra work done by scholarship holders
of the first and second groups in the
years 1897-98 and 1898-99 are examined.
* * * Jt appears in these tables that
almost all the scholarship holders of
the first and second groups do extra
work, and that a large proportion of
them do a great deal of extra work.
Ambitious students, therefore, can either
graduate with distinction in three years,
or remaining four years in College they
_ can do much work beyond the pre-
scribed amount.
OE GCE iat
, |) 746 CHAPEL S!
UR special!” <VEW HAVEN, Conn,
(<= We make the engravings used in
the ‘‘ ALUMNI WEEKLY.”
The C. W. Whittlesey Co.
281 State St.
Our line of Photographic Materials and |
Supplies is larger and more complete than
ever before.
Our facilities for doing amateur work
are unexcelled.
——_—
COLLEGE MEN
will find exceedingly comfortable and well
kept quarters at a most reasonable price at
MILLER’S HOTEL
39 West 26th St., - New York City.
This house is patronized largely by Yale,
Princeton, Cornell, Vassar, Wellesley, Smith
and other Colleges, to the students of which
special rates are made.
SEND FOR CIRCULAR.
CHARLES H. HAYNES,
: Proprietor.
ANOTHER
BASE BALL
SEASON means another
demonstration, on a
thousand diamonds in
all parts of America,
of the position of lead-
ership in the manufac-
ture of equipments
for the great game of
America, and for all
other sports, of
A. G. Spalding & Bros.,
Chicago. New York.
CHARLES T. PENNELL,
Successor to Wm. Franklin & Co.,
IMPORTING | AILOR,
40 Center St., New Haven, Conn.
California = |
SUNSET LIMITED
This palatial solid vestibuled train, th
perfection of railway equipment, con
sists of Combination car, containin
smoking parlor, barber shop and bath
room.
Ladies’ parlor and stateroom car, con-
taining a large parlor and seven state.
rooms, which may be occupied singly,
or en-suite.
Two double drawing-room, ten section
Sleeping cars and Dining car in which
meals are served 4 la carte.
Commencing December ist, ’98
SUNSET LIMITED...
will be operated between New Orleans
and San Francisco via Los Angeles,
twice a week, leaving New Orleans Mon-
days and Thursdays, via the popular
SUNSET ROUTE...
of the Southern Pacific Company.
No snow, no cold weather, no high alti-
tudes, luxurious equipment, quick time,
perfect road bed. These qualities serve
to make Sunset Route and Sunset Limited
unexcelled as a winter route to Cali-
fornia.
New Orleans to Los Angeles 58 Hours.
New Orleans to San Francisco 75 hours.
For descriptive literature, rates and
tickets, call on or address
E. E. CURRIER,
NEW ENGLAND AGENT,
No. 9 State Street, Boston.
EDWIN HAWLEY,
Asst. General Traffic Manager,
L. H. NUTTING, Eastern Passenger Agent,
_ 349 Broadway and No. 1 Battery Place,
New York City.
